1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to steel making apparatus and more particularly to an improved coupling for releasably interconnecting a tilt drive with a crucible trunnion.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Converters have been employed for many years in steel refining processes. In operation, a charge of molten pig iron was loaded into a refractory lined crucible and the impurities were oxidized by the forced introduction of air and/or oxygen through tuyeres, lances, etc.
Crucibles were provided with a pair of trunnions mounted to bearing assemblies for rotation along a horizontal axis to position the converter for various stages of operation, such as charging, blowing, discharging slag, and discharging the refined steel. Power tilt drives were interconnected to the converter for tilting the converter about the bearing assemblies.
Converter crucibles were lined with refractory brick which, after periods of usage, required replacement. Rather than relining crucibles at their blast stations, crucibles together with their trunnions and bearing assemblies have been removed from the blast stations as a complete unit and were transported to a maintenance station for relining. A substitute crucible was positioned at the blast station for continued steel making during the relining procedure.
In order to remove a crucible vessel from its blast station for relining, the coupling between the crucible and its tilt drive was required to be disconnected. This procedure has heretofore been accomplished with the assistance of a crane which was employed to support the coupling, as discussed by Toshimasa Takahashi, at page 24, in the 1977 Annual Convention and Iron and Steel Exhibition of the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers at Cleveland, Ohio. The crane was required for precise axial adjustment of the coupling whose end flanges were bolted to the crucible and/or tilt drive. The procedure required several workers and a considerable period of time.